


Cherry (Coke) Boy

by fairychen



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 00:59:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14153211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairychen/pseuds/fairychen
Summary: Chanyeol keeps visiting the movie theater to see the cute boy working behind the counter.





	Cherry (Coke) Boy

**Author's Note:**

> title somewhat taken from nagisa no cherry by akb48.

He most definitely isn't obsessed, right? Going to see the same movie for the fifth time to see the cute boy who works at the snack counter isn't obsessed. Once you see something beautiful, you do everything in your power to see it again and again, is what Chanyeol tells himself as he pays for his ticket.

Jongin, the name Chanyeol has come to know from the name-tag situated upon his lovely chest, is the twenty-something who works behind the snack counter at the local theater. And Chanyeol is definitely not in love with his sleepy eyes and his blinding smile, or the way he talks to little kids who stand on their tiptoes to see over the counter and gawk at the wide array of candy.

And now, there he is一the Devil himself, dressed in the tacky primary colors that decorate the theater, helping a group of teenage girls pick out candy for their movie. Visibly, all three of the teenagers are attracted to him, he points out as he stands behind them in line. He has the exact amount of money clutched between his fingers一$10.98一which comes from having visited the theatre four times in the past week.

"Oh! Cherry Coke Boy, hi again," Jongin says with his signature bright smile, elbows rested on the counter as he leans forward. His dark brown hair looks terribly soft and fluffy, and god, Chanyeol wants to run his fingers through it.

But wait. "Cherry Coke Boy?" Chanyeol asks.

"You always order Cherry Coke," Jongin says with a shrug. “Especially in the five times you've come in the past week and a half,” he finishes with that endearing chuckle of his. "So that's what I've managed to call you in my head."

Shit, so he’s noticed? Chanyeol prays to everything holy he barely believes in that Jongin doesn't realize he's come back every time because of him. Or, if anything, he knows and finds it adorable, and likes Chanyeol as much as Chanyeol likes him.

Chanyeol lets out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of his neck. He doesn't even have to give Jongin his order this time. He notices as Jongin sticks the lid of the cardboard cup under the Cherry Coke spout, and his coworker prepares the jumbo, refillable box of extra-buttered, extra-salted, probably disgusting popcorn that Chanyeol loves so much. Jongin sets everything onto the counter, his cookie dough bites included.

“$10.98," Jongin says, holding out a graceful hand for the money, smiling when the bills are placed into his hand. He focuses intently onto the cash register. "Have a great movie, Cherry Coke Boy!" 

Chanyeol mumbles a soft thank you, picking up his purchases awkwardly. He begins to walk away, headed into his fifth showing of Attack of the Babydolls IV, until he stops in his tracks. "It's Chanyeol," he says in a moment of confidence, biting his lip as he turns his head to see Jongin. "That's my name." Jongin nods.

Then, Chanyeol's off without another look behind him, slipping into a seat in the back row, near to a couple that has issues with keeping their hands to themselves. He honestly could care less, but a voice in the back of his mind speaks its desire to be in that same situation with Jongin as he stares at the seat next to him forlornly.

Nonetheless, he settles comfortably into the seat, warm bucket up buttery popcorm situated in his lap. He chews away at the kernels as the previews begin, watching intently despite seeing them for the fifth time in the past week and a half.

 

Chanyeol waits another week to come back to the theater; he figures that no matter how much he wants to see Jongin, the total embarrassment isn't worth it. So, this time, he brings his best friend along.

"Kyungsoo, I'm telling you, he's adorable," Chanyeol insists as Kyungsoo pays for their tickets. A hard crease is set into the shorter's brows as he counts out the bills and slides them under the glass divider. 

Kyungsoo shoves the change into his back pocket. He turns around with a sigh, pushing Chanyeol's ticket into his hand. At least they weren't seeing Attack of the Babydolls IV again. "All I'm saying, is that he better be attractive enough to be worth missing my time with Sehun, got it?" Chanyeol nods eagerly.

Chanyeol leads Kyungsoo to the counter, but his face drops as soon as he makes it there.

Jongin, as it seems, doesn't work tonight, of all days. Instead, there's a young woman behind the counter wearing the tacky primary-colored Chanyeol had come to love on Jongin.

He looks back to Kyungsoo, mouth set into an awkward smile. "He's not here today, I guess," his disappointment oozing into his tone.

Instead of rolling his eyes as usual, Kyungsoo pushes past Chanyeol to talk to the woman behind the counter. His hand slaps against the wood, startling her from her daze. "Is...Jongin working tonight?" he asks. He wasn't going to let this be a waste of his time just yet, he had to be sure the so-called Jongin wasn't here, and he knew Chanyeol wasn't going to ask.

The woman shakes her head. "No...he took a day off today, actually. Something about his sister visiting with his niece, and he really wanted to spend the entire day with her," she replies with a snap of her gum. "He'll be back tomorrow, I guess."

Kyungsoo nods. A smile stretches acrossed Chanyeol's face at the news. Jongin has a niece? Oh god. Chanyeol thinks of him playing with a toddler, gigglingly cutely and playing pattycake, or sitting on her Uncle Jongin's lap with her cute little baby smile. Can he possibly get any cuter?

Chanyeol's eyes snap forward and the smile falls from his lips as Kyungsoo snaps his fingers in front of his face. "Earth to Chanyeol? Did you hear her? Jongin will be back tomorrow, so no need to sulk. God, you're ridiculous."

Chanyeol nods, Kyungsoo turns around to order the two of them water, no popcorn, since apparantly it's "unhealthy," and "all that butter isn't good for your heart."

Lack of buttery, salty goodness, lack of Cherry Coke, and lack of Jongin?

Chanyeol pouts the entire movie.

 

Chanyeol returns tomorrow, eager to see the smiling boy behind the counter. He looks even cuter today, with his brown hair wavy and tousled, and god, Chanyeol's heart aches at the sight.

But Jongin doesn't say anything to Chanyeol. He merely smiles to himself the entire transaction, but Chanyeol considers that a victory anyway.

Later, he's about halfway through the newest horror release (thankfully not about haunted children's babydolls) when someone sits next to him. He's enraptured by the movie, so he doesn't pay any mind, hand gripping his favorite Cherry Coke tightly.

But then, a scream. The movie's creature launches itself at the girl, and Chanyeol screams right along with her. His hands flail in the air--and the lid pops off his Cherry Coke, and the Cherry Coke makes itself at home on the newcomer's lap. 

Chanyeol gulps as he removes his 3D glasses to look. He bites his lip hard.

It's Jongin.

"Oh god, shit, Jongin, I'm so sorry," Chanyeol babbles (loudly, much to the disdain of the other moviegoers) as he grabs all of the napkins he can, pressing them into Jongin's lap.

But Jongin's smiling, softly reassuring Chanyeol. "Chanyeol, it's okay, don't worry about it. I'm just wearing my work uniform. You spilled some on yourself too. Let's go get cleaned up."

It's terribly awkward with how Jongin holds out one hand for Chanyeol, the other with the balled up napkins and pressed to his crotch. Chanyeol thinks the flickering of the screen makes Jongin glow like some sort weird, movie theater angel, and he takes Jongin's hand.

He leads Chanyeol to the employee bathrooms, sitting comfortably on the counter. He hands a huge mound of paper towels to Chanyeol with a smile.

Chanyeol takes them with a smile, dabbing at his arm and thigh.

"I'm sorry," he mumbles, eyes cast downard to avoid Jongin's gaze.

Jongin chuckles. "Don't worry about it, Chanyeol, I already said that. I find it endearing that you were so scared that you flailed around like that," he replies. "Who else does that?"

Chanyeol's eyes widen. Did he call him endearing? Is Chanyeol cute to him? 

"Yes, you're cute to me, Chanyeol." 

Well, shit. He said that out loud.

Blush flooded Chanyeol's cheeks and ears as he laughed. He braved looking upwards, meeting Jongin's eyes. Jongin's eyes were hard and serious as he returned his gaze, a look that make Chanyeol's heart flutter.

"Do you, um, want to maybe go out on a date with me sometime, Jongin? Obviously not to a movie theater because I'm sure you get sick of them working here, but something simple and cute? Because I kind of have a massive crush on you and you're the reason I keep coming back here so often to see the same movie?" Chanyeol spills. By the end of it, his chest is heaving, because he didn't exactly place any breaths between his words. "I mean, I hope I'm not forcing you to say yes, because that would be really shitty of me, but I'd really like it and you called me cute, so--"

Chanyeol watches as Jongin breaks into an even wider grin as he sets the paper towels aside. He leans forward.

"I always looked forward to you visiting," Jongin replies, pressing a gentle peck to Chanyeol's cheek.

Chanyeol's heart soars.

Jongin cups Chanyeol's cheeks. His hands are a little sticky.

"I'd love to go on a date with you sometime to get to know you."

Chanyeol vibrates with excitement and surges forward to kiss Jongin's lips. He pulls back and covers his mouth.

"Shit, sorry, I didn't mean to do that. I got too excited." Chanyeol wants to scream.

Jongin laughs. The sound is beautiful to Chanyeol's ears. "Don't worry about it, I liked it. We can do more of that later."

He winks.

**Author's Note:**

> hi, i'm open to criticism! i don't really write a lot or that well, so i'd love some advice. thanks!


End file.
